The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) criticizes Ghana's utilization of oil funds, citing inefficient allocation to projects that fail to address people's needs.

GACC's analysis of petroleum revenue-funded projects (ABFA-funded projects) reveals that Ghana expended over GHC 1,303,419,796.26 on more than 500 projects spanning 17 thematic areas.

Madam Beauty Emafa Narteh, the GACC's Executive Secretary, shared this during an interview with the Ghana News Agency regarding the "From disclosure to impact: mobilizing local civil society to verify published extractive data and advocate for equitable, accountable spending of funds" project.

This initiative, supported by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), ran from September 2022 to September 2023. Its core premise was that informed citizens could demand accountability, transparency, and improved processes for extractive revenue utilization.

Mrs. Narteh noted that the Coalition's Local Accountability Networks (LANets) conducted pre-monitoring, mid-term, terminal, and post-monitoring activities for these projects, some of which began as early as 2011. Unfortunately, these projects often failed to meet the intended community needs, primarily because the local communities were unaware of their existence.

She added that LANets monitored 33 petroleum-revenue-funded projects across 18 districts in six regions, employing a monitoring tool devised by the GACC Project Implementation Team.

“Compared to other oil-rich countries in Scandinavia and the Gulf region, Ghana’s expenditure of its oil funds could be more efficient and strategic,” she said

Mrs. Narteh revealed that citizens residing in areas where petroleum-revenue-funded projects were underway lacked information about project specifics, including cost, duration, and contractor details. This information gap stemmed from minimal engagement between the government, contractors, and the local population concerning these projects.

Furthermore, the GACC identified a phenomenon referred to as "protocol or parachute projects." These were projects and contracts initiated at the national level but intended for execution at the district level. Frequently, neither the district assemblies nor the local communities were informed about these projects, which were purportedly awarded for political gain.

“The district assemblies do not have any project documents and do not have any authority to oversee project construction. Furthermore, they are unable to hold the contractors accountable in the event of any mishap,” she added.

The GACC Executive Secretary explained that project implementation encountered significant delays due to various challenges. Although the project commenced in September 2022, monitoring activities didn't begin until April, approximately eight months later. These delays primarily resulted from difficulties in accessing information about oil-funded projects and obtaining introductory letters from relevant state agencies.

These letters were intended for presentation by the LANets to their respective Municipal, Metropolitan, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) before conducting monitoring. Despite substantial efforts by the GACC, formal acquisition of the list of ABFA-funded projects from the Ministry of Finance proved unattainable.

The GACC also faced challenges in obtaining technical input from the Contractors’ Association and the Chamber of Construction, as they did not respond to GACC's requests.

Another challenge pertained to the lack of cooperation from the Ellembele District Assembly in the Western Region, which cited prior monitoring by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) as a reason not to provide the needed information to the LANet.

As a recommendation for future projects, the GACC suggested that implementers initiate projects with monitoring of the procurement process and involve the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) in initial data collection.

Additionally, they stressed the importance of regular monitoring of oil-funded projects to ensure the collection of up-to-date information, which can be used to support monitoring efforts and policy advocacy.